Australian Medical Association accuses The Australian of promoting smoking

The Australian Medical Association has accused Rupert Murdoch’s The Australian newspaper of promoting smoking and “big tobacco” by publishing a series of articles undermining the nation’s plain packaging legislation.

The Australian, owned by News Corp, has previously argued that plain packaging deprives tobacco firms of their intellectual property rights, and earlier this month went further and claimed that plain packaging had led to an increase in tobacco sales.
“The AMA urges the government to restate its support for the plain packaging laws and tobacco control generally, and we urge the Australian and other media to stop giving Big Tobacco a free ride in promoting its killer products,” the AMA president, Associate Professor Brian Owler, said.
The intervention of the peak medical body came after The Australian published another five articles on Wednesday critical of public health initiatives to decrease smoking rates, including plain packaging.
The series of news reports and opinion pieces were in response to the ABC’s Media Watch program, which slammed The Australian’s earlier exclusive story claiming that there had been an increase in consumption as “garbage”.
On 6 June The Australian ran a front-page story headlined “Labor's plain packaging fails as cigarette sales rise”.
“Labor’s nanny state push to kill off the country’s addiction to cigarettes with plain packaging has backfired, with new sales figures showing tobacco consumption growing during the first full year of the new laws,” the newspaper reported.
But the accuracy of the evidence presented in the report was immediately called into question by some economists and health experts, as it directly contradicted government figures.
One of the economists who condemned the story, Stephen Koukoulas, said tobacco consumption in the first quarter of 2014 was the lowest ever recorded.
The professor of health policy at Curtin University, Mike Daube, also condemned the report: “Every bit of the report is dodgy, from the way it was set up, to what’s in it, to the lack of analysis.”
Media Watch quoted the two experts in its story, and suggested The Australian had been influenced by the views of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a right-wing thinktank.
Undeterred by the Media Watch report, The Australian returned fire, publishing a full broadsheet page of stories on Wednesday.
One of the opinion pieces was written by Professor Sinclair Davidson, an economist at RMIT and a senior fellow at the IPA, which has reportedly received funds from the tobacco industry. British American Tobacco Australia told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2012 it was a member of the IPA.
Davidson wrote that plain packaging policy introduced by the previous Labor government was “state-sponsored persecution of that minority who consume tobacco”.
Davidson was also quoted in the newspaper as saying: “I have no doubt that the consumption of cigarettes has risen since plain packaging was introduced; we just can’t be sure whether it is by existing smokers or new smokers.”
But according to the department of health, recent figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) show that total consumption of tobacco and cigarettes in the March quarter 2014 is the lowest ever recorded.
It has dropped from $3.508bn in December 2012 to 3.405 billion in March 2014.
The Guardian's Data Blog analysed the figures used by The Australian on June 6 and found there was indeed a small 0.28% increase in sales year on year but the paper had failed to account for the increase in the population between 2012 and 2013.
"Adjusted for population, tobacco sales per person have actually continued to decrease from 920.4 in 2012 to 906.9 in 2013," the Data Blog reported.
The AMA was joined by the Cancer Council in pointing the finger at the tobacco industry for driving a misinformation campaign to undermine the effectiveness of plain packaging, but stopped short of naming the Australian.
The Cancer Council CEO and medical oncologist, Professor Ian Olver, cited new Treasury figures which he said were a further indication of a decline in smoking, with tobacco clearances (including excise and customs duty) falling by 3.4% in 2013 relative to 2012, when tobacco plain packaging was introduced.
“The so-called data being spun by the tobacco industry to claim that plain packaging has not worked is plain wrong," Olver said in a statement.
“If we used tobacco industry claims to guide health policy, life expectancy in Australia would be much lower than it is today.”
The Cancer Council said the tobacco industry’s misinformation campaign was “aimed at undermining the introduction of plain packaging in the UK”.
“In a country of 63 million people, plain packaging would be a major blow to the tobacco industry’s profits,” Prof Olver said.
In Wednesday's report The Australian claimed that the government's anti-smoking measures were driving a boom in cheap cigarettes because smokers were "buying more cigarettes from the lowest market segment".
"Neilsen data indicates that 42.3 per cent of all cigarettes now purchased are priced at less than $15 a pack, a rise from 25.6 per cent of the market in 2011 and 35.2 per cent at the end of last year," the report said.
The report quoted tobacco industry executives to back this claim. The managing director of Philip Morris, John Gledhill, told The Australian: “As industry and market experts have previously warned, the government’s forced removal of tobacco brands and trademarks has triggered intense price competition.”

Japan Tobacco to buy UK e-cigarette brand E-Lites

Japan Tobacco Inc has agreed to buy the maker of E-Lites, a leading brand of e-cigarettes in Britain, giving it entry into the fast-growing market for tobacco alternatives.
Japan Tobacco said on Wednesday that it had agreed to buy all outstanding shares of E-Lites' parent company Zandera, founded in 2009.
Financial terms were not disclosed, though the company said it would fund the purchase with existing cash and debt. It said the deal is expected to have a minor effect on its performance and cash flow in fiscal 2014.
As rates of smoking decline, big tobacco companies such as Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Imperial Tobacco Group have been jostling for position in the growing market for electronic cigarettes, which use nicotine-laced liquid.
Some analysts believe e-cigarettes will eventually outsell traditional cigarettes in some markets.
Japan Tobacco, the maker of Winston, Camel and Mild Seven, already sells outside the United States a smoking device called Ploom that heats, but does not burn, pods of tobacco. E-Lites, one of the leading brands in the UK, is the company's first tobacco alternative.
E-Lites' parent had revenue of about 16 million pounds ($26.87 million) in the fiscal year ended March 2014.

Smoking In Cars Might Lead To Fines And Health Problems

Smoking In Cars Might Lead To Fines And Health Problems

Raising Number of Smoking People In Czech Republic

Raising Number of Smoking People In Czech Republic

Plan to allow smoking sections on beaches draws criticism from both sides

Patrons once segregated between smoking and nonsmoking sections in restaurants prior to a complete ban in 2006 may soon be faced with the same choice at beaches and public parks.

A long-gestating bill that would ban smoking in recreational areas is closer than ever to being passed by the New Jersey Legislature, but a recent amendment could allow for special smoking sections in the great outdoors.

That amendment has stirred just as much controversy as the proposed ban itself. Environmental and health advocates see a cop-out, smokers see a flawed compromise, and municipalities worry about enforcement headaches to come.

“Say the wind changes from the north to the south,” said Margate City Clerk Thomas Hiltner, with a chuckle. “You can’t change your designated areas with the wind, so you’ll have people saying, ‘I smell smoke.’”

A number of communities — from Belmar to Lower Township’s Sunset Beach — have already instituted smoking bans, but Margate has held off while the statewide bill works through the Legislature. There are still many unanswered questions, Hiltner said.

The biggest one is who will enforce such a ban: Beach badge checkers? Code enforcement officers? Lifeguards? Police?

“Manpower needs are already spread thin in the summertime, especially in shore communities,” Hiltner said.

Inevitably, a lot of it will have to come down to signage and common courtesy between beachgoers, he said, with the possibility of city officials getting involved as a last resort.

While Sea Isle City hasn’t pursued a smoking ban on its beaches, Mayor Len Desiderio — a longtime bar owner who’s worked around smoke — said his city will abide by whatever law is passed down.

“We would have a swimming beach, a surfing beach, a kayak beach and now a smoking beach,” he said. “Sounds like it would be fair, if it becomes the law of the land.”

A number of the ban’s supporters have criticized the concept of segregated outdoor smoking areas as ridiculous.

“It’s a loophole big enough to throw an ashtray through,” said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

He said the ban would improve public health and help protect beaches from errant cigarette butts — one of the most common items found in beach cleanups — but the amendment undermines the intent.

“I think it undermines all the money people are spending to rebuild beaches and promote tourism,” he said.

Smokers’ rights groups, which have criticized the proposed ban as legislative overreach, have been ambivalent toward the latest development.

“It’s a crumb, but at least they’re stepping in the right direction,” said George Koodray, assistant director of Citizens Freedom Alliance, a smokers’ rights group. “It would be good for municipalities to designate areas where people can engage in a completely legal activity.”

Jon Moran, a legislative analyst with the New Jersey League of Municipalities, said it strikes a fair compromise between public health and the needs of users. For instance, he said, many people smoke while they fish on lakes or back bays.

“If a municipality chooses — and it’s their choice — it would make clean-up easier,” he said.

The league supported the ban because it gives municipalities another tool to protect the rights of those who choose not to be exposed to smoke in public places, Moran said.

And while enforcement is a concern, he said, it will likely be enforced through the observations of those using beaches and parks.

Meanwhile, visitors to Atlantic City’s beach this weekend were similarly ambivalent.

Nicole Wendelbo, 47, of Sante Fe, N.M., grew up in New York and remembers spending long days at the beach next to smokers. She doesn’t want her children exposed to it.

“There are definite health concerns and the smell is obnoxious,” she said. “It’s just awful to be outside and have to deal with someone else’s cigarettes.”

Wayne Koch, 64, of Deptford, Gloucester County, said the ban wouldn’t affect him — he quit smoking four decades ago — but wonders how big a deal it actually is.

“In an open environment like this, I’m pretty sure the effect has got to be minimal,” he said.

Desiderio said the days of smoking seem to be disappearing, so having a designated smoking beach seems to be a good compromise with smokers. Just as with prior bans, he said, there will be a period of adjustment.

“I remember when (the ban) first started in the bars,” he said. “Everyone at the bar would say, ‘Whoa, you can’t smoke in here.’ And that’s how it went.”

Marlboro cigarettes online

The history of cigarettes "Marlboro", which are now made in St. Petersburg, and, sadly, are available to each student. They appeared in 1924 in America as the ladies ("soft as May Day") and issued with a mouthpiece ivory or red - that was not visible traces of lipstick. In 1954 he established a production of "Marlboro" and stronger, and that cigarettes like men, but released them from the filter and - for the first time in the history of cigarette cases - packs a solid opening to the top, so that men could wear them in the pockets of jeans. In 1964 the country was invented "Marlboro", and by 1975 they became the best selling cigarettes in the world. Official appearance of cigarettes "Marlboro" in Russia refers to 1990. At the end of this beautiful story, I note that Wayne McLaren, the same "cowboy" with a cigarette in his mouth, which became a symbol of "Marlboro", died of lung cancer in 52 years.

But back to the Soviet Union of the 1970s.

Major Leningrad factory continued to operate for decades in producing their products. Sons smoked "White Sea" also because he smoked their fathers and grandfathers. True, not all the sons ... daughters prefer the cigarette.

Tobacco factories continued to evolve. In 1970-1986 years he factory. Uritskogo called Leningrad industrial association of the tobacco industry to them. Uritsky. In the early 1990s, the factory suffered third birth. It was acquired by American holding PJR Nabisco, then gone over to the Japanese company Japan Tobacco Inc. (Which is Headquartered in Geneva and has offices in over 40 countries). The owner of the factory became the company JT International. The total investment in the company's St. Petersburg factory "Petro" (formerly named. Uritskogo) totaled $ 400 million. After upgrading and renaming of Joint-Stock Company (JSC), "Petro" the company has become the largest and most modern cigarette production in Russia and the largest factory of JT International in the world. In 2008 it produced 8000 cigarettes per minute (about 50 billion pieces per year). Stamps issued "Petro" cigarettes and cigarettes (more than 20 titles), including "Peter I» (first released in 1995), "Russian style" license "Samel" (appeared in the U.S. in the early 1920s under the slogan of the advertising "Get yourself a camel»), «Winston», «Sakm» and others, are well known in St. Petersburg. In 2003, "Peter I» added "light" version - "Peter I Mild flavor," "Peter I light taste," "Peter I Super-light taste." Tsar Peter, founder of the tobacco business in Russia, did not expect, that's how things will turn that his name will be called the cigarette factory ...

In 2001, the factory "Petro" from the Middle Avenue Vasilevsky Island was transferred to the Peterhof highway, 71. Having visited the factory in April 2005, the author of this book with pleasure and surprise at cheap dinner in an excellent working the dining room, a cigarette is not tried, so to say anything about them can not, moreover, that a glass of juice would not exchange even a pack of cigarettes. Or even tobacco Zhukov.

In 2003 JSC "Petro" has been the largest taxpayer in our city. Heavy industry here, "smokes."

Let's go back to the factory to them. Clara Zetkin. In 1991 the factory was transformed into joint-stock company (JSC) from 1992 - JSC "Nevo Tabak". For more than 130 years, it is at the same address - Klin Ave, corner Bronitskaya street. This is one of the largest Russian tobacco companies without foreign capital. Every year, "Nevo Tabak" produces over 12 billion cigarettes - AN Shaposhnikov, founder of the production volumes are not even dream of. Now the company produces about 20 brands of cigarettes in the name of which sounds "Petersburg-North" theme. This Cigarette "Leningrad", "Peter the Great," "The Emperor", "Aurora", "Northern Palmira", "Prima Nebo" and others, as well as your favorite cigarette of the Russian North - "Arctic". On the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg in the firm released a brand of cigarettes, "1703" and bought his own equipment filtrodelatelnoe.

In 1994, the leasable area of ​​one of St. Petersburg companies founded the first factory of "Rhillip Morris» in North-West - "Philip Morris Neva." The second - "Philip Morris Izhora", the most powerful of the Russian factories «Phillip Morris», was built in the Leningrad Region "from scratch" and began work in February 2000. It is the largest investment project in Eastern Europe. In early 2002, «Phillip Morris» stopped production on "Philip Morris Neva", the company dismantled the equipment and all staff have moved on, "Philip Morris Izhora."

In 2003 the company «Phillip Morris» announced its intention to invest in expanding production 240 million dollars. In 2005, to be released 70 billion cigarettes.

In 1997 released their first cigarette at the factory "BAT-SPb", which was called to this "Rothmans Nevo". At that time it was one of the most modern plants of the tobacco industry in Russia. It belonged to an international company «BritishAmerican Toasso" (BAT), which produces light in such well-known in the camp of smokers around the world, from the Kuril Islands to the Cape of Good Hope, marks, as «Kent», «PallMall», «Lucky Strike», «Java ". In 2002 the factory had produced 20 billion cigarettes.

The company is located in Lahti, near St. Petersburg, where the next cigarette complex built warehouse.

Factory "Cres Neva", one of Russia's leading processors of raw tobacco, was founded in 1998. Then, the international tobacco group «Standard Commercial» acquired the unfinished plant from a representative of the defense industry JSC "Kirov Plant" in Gorelovsky district of Leningrad region. By investing in the construction and equipment company 18 million dollars, «Standard Commercial Group» has opened Russia's first factory for the production of "blow up" or expanded stem, which is used to produce "lighter» («light») cigarettes. Until that time, tobacco streak cigarette factory purchased abroad.

Other old St. Petersburg tobacco production has long been abolished and forgotten. Since the late 1990s, more polluting. True, thanks for the tobacco companies that no one has said.

Almost the only cigarettes, then coming on the market, was the "Space". It is worth recalling how many countries were involved in the manufacture of these cigarettes is very low quality. The "Cosmos" was the Austrian filter rim Austrian, French cigarette paper, Bulgarian or Indian tobacco, packaging boards Finnish, English and German film cellophane ribbon breaking.

The peak of enthusiasm for space theme cigarettes became "Soyuz-Apollo" who were born after the pilot flying the American "Apollo" and Soviet "Union" in July 1975 (although they appeared in the USSR, but not in the U.S.). Cigarette company released "Phillir Morris» with the participation of the tobacco industry in the USSR. Then in five cities in the former Soviet Union: Moscow, Leningrad, Kishinev, Baku and Sukhumi - established licensed production of "Marlboro". Truly - a space has no boundaries!

In 2004, in St. Petersburg had a few tobacco plants: in addition to "Petro" is Bat-Petersburg, nab. Sinks, 11, former "Rotmens-Neva", "British American Tobacco St. Petersburg", 3rd Cavalry Lakhta, 38, "Cres Neva" Volkhonskoye Highway 4, ZAO Philip Morris pluralism, Volkhonskoye Highway 7. All of them were members of the association of tobacco product manufacturers Tabakprom. There were also a few specialist shops selling tobacco, tobacco shops including a network of "snuffbox" (25 distribution centers). Tobacco products sold numerous kiosks.

In 2005, in St. Petersburg began to finally get rid of the many stalls surrounding the station. Cigarettes sold in these stalls all day and night units, packs and individually.

Up in smoke? Alamance e-cigarette store operators concerned about proposed regulations

After 35 years of smoking, Ralph Easter switched to electric cigarettes in 2012 and isn’t looking back.

He was so impressed with the product, he opened two e-cigarette stores in Alamance County, one in Gibsonville and the other in Mebane. Now, Easter said he’s concerned about new regulations proposed on the Food and Drug Administration and how it could impact his business.

“If something is working for people, leave it alone,” he said.

The federal proposal extends the legal definition of tobacco products to include electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and hookah tobacco. By expanding the statutory definition, all e-cigarettes would come with a warning stating they contain nicotine and individuals interested in purchasing the devices must be at least 18 years old.

E-cigarette companies would be barred from offering free samples, under the preliminary proposal. The proposed regulations would not ban any e-liquid flavors — which can range from vanilla and mint to Worcestershire sauce and crab legs — but producers would be required to provide its products' ingredients and disclose their manufacturing process for approval.

According to Burlington-based e-cigarette liquid suppler Wil Sutton, the regulations would “effectively destroy the industry” and prevent small suppliers from competing in the market.

The FDA’s Frightening Anti-Smoking Campaign for Teens Hits Them Where It Hurts

The last time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tried to use graphic images to deter smokers in 2012, a judge ruled its graphic labels–which included images of rotting lips, corpses, and diseased lungs–unconstitutional. Two years later, the FDA has revealed its latest move, announcing its first national anti-smoking campaign aimed at teens. At first look, the result is similarly dramatic, though slightly less frightening: One ad features a teen pulling out a tooth with a wrench to pay for a pack of cigarettes, while another simply focuses on a young woman with wrinkles.
Called “The Real Cost,” the campaign aims to decrease the number of teens between the ages 12 and 17 from becoming hooked on tobacco by emphasizing the bodily harm smoking can inflict–and tapping into teens’ concerns about their appearance. “The FDA has collaborated with some of the brightest and most creative minds to develop a multimedia initiative designed to make the target audience acutely aware of the risk from every cigarette by highlighting consequences that young people are really concerned about,” said Mitchell Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products said in a statement. The campaign also underscores the addictive quality of nicotine, since many young people presume they can quit whenever they want.
The ads, which will begin appearing nationwide on Feb. 11, will be seen in 200 different markets on TV, radio, print, and online. You can watch a preview here:
Before launch, the FDA conducted massive ad testing and found the ads to be memorable and engaging among their target audience. The agency plans to track the effectiveness of the campaign by monitoring 8,000 people between the ages of 11 and 16 for two years to see whether there are any changes in tobacco knowledge and attitudes. “As a regulatory agency, everything the FDA does is grounded in science,” Zeller said.
Tobacco use had a sharp drop among teens between 1997 and 2003, but began to slow in 2003 and came to almost a halt between 2009 to 2011, according to data released from the CDC in 2012. Health experts speculate that the reasons for the range from lower state dedication to the cause to teen’s growing interest in other products like small cigars. Emerging research shows that teens are also taking a liking to e-cigarettes, which don’t contain tobacco but still have nicotine.
The FDA’s latest initiative is part of their overall move to tighten their control over the tobacco industry. Every day, more than 3,200 young people under the age of 18 try their first cigarette, and more than 700 of them will become daily smokers. It is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the U.S., and responsible for 480,000 deaths every year.

Be in charge of your life

The 1982 United States Surgeon General's report in 1982 stated that "cigarette smoking is the major single cause of cancer mortality (death) in the United States." This statement is as true today as it was in 1982.

About half of all Americans who keep smoking will die because of the habit. Each year about 443,000 people in the United States die from illnesses related to cigarette smoking

Cigarettes, cigars, and spit and pipe tobacco are made from dried tobacco leaves, as well as ingredients added for flavor and other reasons. More than 4,000 different chemicals have been found in tobacco and tobacco smoke.

Smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. Because cigarette smoking and tobacco use are acquired behaviors -- activities that people choose to do -- smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in our society.

There are hundreds of substances added to cigarettes by manufacturers to enhance the flavor or to make smoking more pleasant. Some of the compounds found in tobacco smoke include ammonia, tar, and carbon monoxide.

Exactly what effects these substances have on the cigarette smoker's health is unknown, but there is no evidence that lowering the tar content of a cigarette lowers the health risk. Manufacturers do not usually give out information to the public about the additives used in cigarettes, so it is hard to know the health risks.

Take charge of your health and sign up for the tobacco cessation classes at the Health and Wellness Center. Team Hill federal employees will be offered 12 weeks of free tobacco cessation medication while attending classes. Funding is limited.

Protecting our children from cigarette smoke

As the smoke clears from the political drama and rancor over the passing of health care reform in Washington, D.C., my guess is regular folks in southwest Minnesota are still confused, and the good, or the not so good, of the historic legislation won’t be measured for some time.

For example, if you consider that in Minnesota alone, tobacco use results in $2 billion in health care costs, can you imagine the direct impact a significant reduction of tobacco use would have in the effort to reduce the price tag of health care?

What we’re asking is, what if, as we wait for the “big deal” health care reforms to play out, our community and state leaders came together to accomplish some common sense solutions? Solutions that aren’t hard to understand, difficult to accomplish or require additional cost to taxpayers — and would have a direct and significant impact on health care costs and the health and well being of our children and grandchildren?

One such common sense effort is to keep children from using tobacco.

Admittedly, this one’s not easy. Last year the tobacco industry spent more than $190 million marketing its products in Minnesota. Much of that cleverly and indirectly, aimed at young adults.

One might think that in today’s hyper-communication society kids are surely aware of the perils of tobacco use and would avoid its use like the plague. Not so. Today’s tobacco industry is continuously evolving and adapting to 21st-century standards and finding new ways to hook children, teenagers and young adults into using, or continuing to use their products.

An attempt to mitigate these trends is the proposed Tobacco Modernization and Compliance Act that is currently moving through the legislature in St. Paul. Basically, this act will take some very simple steps to reduce youth access to tobacco products and reduce the ability of tobacco companies to evade paying taxes on certain products.

Those steps include: Classifying “little cigars” to what they really are — cigarettes — and subjecting them to further regulation and tax stamping; ensuring that new products such as candy flavored, nicotine-laced chewing tobaccos are covered by existing tobacco laws and not sold next to candy and gum; prohibiting the sale of electronic nicotine delivery devices that simulate smoking to youth.

Admittedly, in light of the efforts of Congress and the President to achieve comprehensive health care reform, these simple measures may not seem like a “big deal,” but if accomplished, they just might keep one of our children or grandchildren from the pain and suffering of tobacco-related disease.

Smokers Can't Savor The Bitter Taste Of Caffeine

Smokers Can't Savor The Bitter Taste Of Caffeine

Secondhand Smoking Influence Children's Health

Secondhand Smoking Influence Children's Health

Smoking - The Social Consequences

Smoking - The Social Consequences

Cigarette Usage Among Overweight Females

Cigarette Usage Among Overweight Females

Users of illegal cigarettes brushing off health risk

They are available all over the state

LIKE most smokers, 35-year-old Mohd Wan (not his real name) had an uneasy time balancing his finances to lower his two-packs-a-day smoking habit, more so since he works and lives in the city,   where the cost of living is higher.
"I have been smoking for the past 13 years and have seen premium cigarette brands double in cost, from RM5.20 for a pack of 20s in the early 2000s to RM12 now," he said in the city centre recently.
But, for the past two years, the sales executive has spent less money when smoking his favourite American brand.
"My cigarettes sell for RM6 a pack. At times, it can also cost as low as RM5.70 a pack, depending on how much I buy."
He said this was despite the annual increase in sin tax on tobacco and alcohol by the government.
To our eyes, Mohd Wan's cigarette pack looks no different from those sold over the counter in eateries and convenience stores.
It is white and, at the same time, resembles the same box as the American brand that he has been smoking for the past six years.
Yet, the cigarettes that Mohd Wan smokes are contraband cigarettes, mainly from Indonesia, which are easily available in Johor Baru.
In fact, the sale of contraband cigarettes is not limited to the state capital, but also occurs in town districts like Muar, Batu Pahat, Labis and Pontian.
Their popularity is because of the price difference when compared with the real deal.
A contraband non-premium pack of 20s can cost as low as RM3.
The usual premium brands that are smuggled into Johor are Marlboro (red and lights), Dunhill (red and blue), Ella and Luffman, in addition to other lesser-known brands.
In addition, illicit kretek (clove cigarettes) are also popular and cheaper than the "official" ones.
Popular brands include Gudang Garam (regular and Suria), LA, Sampoerna and DjiSamSu 234.
While some customers claim that illicit cigarettes taste better than their original counterparts, the main motivation for buying them is because they are cheaper.
Checks have revealed that such cigarettes are sold mainly in sundry shops in rural and urban areas in the state. It is also common for jamu (traditional Indonesian herbal medicine  herbal  medicine) shops   to carry contraband cigarettes.
One only needs to ask the shop owner, who will bring out the cigarettes.
At times, contraband cigarettes are sold alongside regular ones.
However, they are mostly hidden because they do not carry the warning images on the packs.
For example, the normal Marlboro will be called as its namesake. But, the contraband is called Marlburi (denoting Marlboro Indonesia).
Such jamu-cum-sundry shops, usually run by Achenese businessmen, are popular in Johor Baru and cater to Indonesian contract workers. However, over the years, such shops have grown popular among the locals as well.
This is because of their more competitive prices and choices of toiletries and other medicines.
Smokers like Mohd Wan depend on the purchase of illicit cigarettes in these places to fuel their addiction.
As expected, he brushes off the health risks and chances of getting caught by the authorities.
And, this is despite warnings by the authorities that contraband cigarettes may cause more harm to one's health because of the higher levels of tar and nicotine compounds in the tobacco.

Best chance to quit smoking. Last chance to win.

Quitting smoking is the single most important thing someone can do to prevent cancer and there's never been a better time to quit than right now. 

Feb. 28 is the final day to register for the Canadian Cancer Society's Driven to Quit Challenge, presented by McNeil Consumer Healthcare, division of Johnson & Johnson Inc., the makers of Nicoderm and Nicorette. The Challenge is a campaign to motivate adult Ontario tobacco users to quit smoking or other forms of tobacco for the month of March with the help of a support "buddy" for their chance to win a grand prize of a car and other cash prizes.

"The Driven to Quit Challenge offers great odds of winning because, not only does everyone who registers have a chance at winning the grand prize, they are a winner simply for taking this important step towards improving their health and wellness," says John Atkinson, director, Tobacco Control and Cancer Prevention. "And with supportive resources such as the Canadian Cancer Society's Smokers' Helpline, the Driven to Quit Challenge helps smokers in Ontario win by inspiring them to quit for good."

Participants who stay smoke-free all month will be eligible to win a choice between a Dodge Avenger or a Dodge Journey or one of seven prizes of $1,000. Support buddies of winners each receive a $100 cash prize.

"We know that many smokers make five to seven attempts before they quit successfully and we want to give all participants the best possible support as they take this important step to a healthier lifestyle," says Krista Scaldwell, vice-president, communications and government affairs at Johnson & Johnson Inc. "We're committed to helping smokers with clinically proven, safe and effective nicotine replacement products."

Driven to Quit Challenge participants can receive discount coupons towards the purchase of Nicoderm or Nicorette. Coupons are available while quantities last.

Cambodia Bans Smoking In Public, Workplaces

Cambodia has implemented a smoking ban in public and workplaces, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported citing an official media report.

The ban also applies to educational institutions, museums, gas stations, playgrounds, religious centres and on public transport, said national press agency Agence Kampuchea Presse (AKP).

A circular on the ban was disseminated by the Health Ministry in a recent seminar held here and attended by minister Mam Bunheng and World Health Organisation's representative to Cambodia, Pieter Van Maaren.

A survey conducted by the Planning Ministry in 2011 showed 90 percent of Cambodians were exposed to second-hand smoke in restaurants, 60 percent on public transport and 50 percent at workplaces.

Some 10,000 Cambodians die from tobacco-related diseases every year or about 30 people a day.

Cambodians spend approximately US$100 million on tobacco annually.

N.J. moves to ban smoking at beaches, parks

An Assembly committee has advanced legislation that would ban smoking at public parks and beaches in New Jersey.
Even in outdoor areas, second-hand smoke can be harmful, said Cara Murphy of Global Advisors on Smokefree Policy (GASP) during a legislative hearing Thursday.
"Smoke-free air benefits everyone. It not only benefits tourism as people are able to go to smoke-free beaches, but it also benefits children who wants to use parks and recreation areas," she said. "It also benefits anyone who wants to quit using tobacco because you're no longer around the presence of tobacco."
Supporters say the ban would help keep beaches clean and prevent fires in parks.
It also reflects changes in New Jersey where about 85 percent of the population doesn't smoke, said Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle, the bill's sponsor.
"More and more people understand now the hazards of secondhand smoke," said Huttle, D-Bergen. "They also understand the littering issue on beaches and of course the fire hazards in the forests and the parks."
If the bill becomes law, smokers who light up on the beach or in a park would face fines up to a thousand dollars.
A similar bill was introduced in the previous legislative session, but it failed to win approval.
Huttle said she hopes the latest version becomes law by the time people go back to the beaches this summer.

Cincinnati study: Students smoking less tobacco, more pot

Tri-State students are smoking less tobacco and more marijuana, according to a study by the Coalition for Drug Free Greater Cincinnati.
The study, which compiled data from more than 56,000 students from seventh to 12th grade, states tobacco use is down by 53 percent since 2000. Buy cigarettes.
According to the study, 5 percent of students abuse prescription drugs, 10 percent smoke cigarettes, 12 percent smoke marijuana and 18 percent drink alcohol.
The average age students report trying these substances is 13. The study also states peer and parental-disapproval rates are at an all-time high.
"We're excited that most kids aren’t using and we continue to see progress in this area,” said coalition spokesperson Mary Haag. “We have concerns in slight ticks in marijuana-use and binge drinking, and we're going to keep our eye and our effort on those two areas."
Students from more than 100 schools took part in the survey. It is conducted every two years.

Tobacco products: FBR mulling over interim increase in FED

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is actively pursuing a proposal to achieve federal excise duty (FED) target from cigarette industry by introducing an interim increase in excise rate on tobacco products during last quarter (April-June) 2013-14. Sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the board is working out expected revenue implications of the changes in the duty structure on cigarettes in the last three months of 2013-14. In this regard, the board has also consulted two cigarette manufacturers for revision in the FED slabs of cigarettes.

When contacted, an expert said that as the FBR struggles to meet the annual tax collection target, it is also contemplating steps to enhance excise duty collection from the tobacco industry, but it is quite apprehensive as market dynamics do not support any drastic and sudden steps.

In the budget 2013-4014, a fully specific two tier duty structure was introduced by the FBR in consultation with the two large multinational cigarette manufacturers. It was expected that the steps would result into 15% increase in the excise duty revenue collection. But the figures so far show that the revenue collection in absolute Rupee terms has not touched the desired level.

Market dynamics like excessive hoarding by the traders in the previous fiscal year had a large impact on the current fiscal's sales and revenue of the tax compliant tobacco industry. In the fiscal year 2012-13 a total sale of 66.8 billion sticks helped the government mop up revenue of Rs 61.5 billion as compared to expected revenue of Rs 58.6 billion. Hoarding in April-May 2013 was prompted by strong rumours that the FBR intended to introduce a heavy excise increase, he added.

Industry sources confirmed that the excessive hoarding led to a distortion of industry projections for the current fiscal year. Continuous post-budget off-loading of stocks by the traders thus has negatively impacted industry volume and the government revenues in FY 2013-14. While introducing two tier specific excise duty structure, the FBR and the industry based its projections on market consumption and sale volume of 64 billion sticks for FY 2012-13 & 2013-14. It was understood then that a predictable duty structure would be better for the government and industry.

The current excise structure gives full control to the government as the previous excise structure depended on the manufacturers to increase prices in order for a raise in excise revenue. The new structure removes this dependence and gives the government autonomy to increase excise on its own.

A detailed analysis of the historic trends of tobacco sales and revenue also suggests that normally the first two quarters post budget witness lower volumes. These start to pick up towards the third quarter and near the budget sales jump. The new excise structure has resulted in 7.8% revenue growth during July'13-January'14, despite low volume of sales. However sales figures show that despite higher tax incidence the revenue target for excise duty collection will not be met as 2.8 billion sticks sold in the previous fiscal will lead to lower volumes for the tax complaint industry in the current year, they said.

The FBR is currently considering a proposal to achieve FED revenue targets for the cigarette industry, by introducing an interim increase in excise rate on tobacco products for the last quarter of the current fiscal year (April 2014) based on the current tax structure. This proposal may also get a positive response from the tobacco industry.  Chesterfield Bronze cigarettes.

Another market dynamic that limits FBR option is that sudden and exorbitant increases in cigarette prices that are higher than general inflation push consumers to cheaper cigarettes resulting in an increase in illicit trade. Pakistan has witnessed an increase in the consumption of illicit brands since last few years. Oxford Economic Report a study on the tobacco industry in Asia shows that currently with a market share of 25% in Pakistan, the no-duty paid segment is a serious threat to the government's objectives; reducing the incidence of smoking and increasing revenue from the industry.

Economic experts believe that expecting higher revenues from the legitimate industry, where volumes are not growing, but in fact losing to illicit trade due to lack of the government enforcement, could impact the government revenue as consumers will shift to illicit non-duty paid brands available at a fraction of a price.

Workers at Enfield Borough Council ordered to smoke a minimum of 25 metres away from any council building

Workers at Enfield Borough Council have been left fuming after they were ordered to smoke a minimum of 25 metres away from any council building.
An email sent to staff, seen by the Enfield Independent, states that employees can only smoke during authorised breaks.
The move is intended to ensure a smoke-free working environment, but has left a sour taste in the mouths of some staff.
One council worker, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "This is completely authoritarian by the council against those who want to smoke. I do not understand why they have decided to run with this."
Another said: "The totalitarian stance taken on this is wrong. More than 25m is quite excessive in my opinion and unfair on workers."
The email, sent to staff on January 10, reads: "The council is committed to ensuring that all our workplaces are smoke-free, and all employees and workers have a right to work in a smoke-free environment.
"All employees and workers are required to minimise the effects of their smoke on others whilst at work. Therefore, are not allowed to smoke within a minimum distance of 25m from any council building and are requested to extinguish their cigarettes and dispose of them appropriately."

The email also states that smoking is only permitted when workers are going "to and from work" and during authorised breaks.
It added: "We would like to remind all employees’ and workers that smoking is not permitted during working hours. This applies to all staff irrespective of where they work (in a council building or outdoors, or when driving a vehicle during working hours). Staff wishing to smoke can only do so on the way to and from work and during authorised breaks."
The email concludes by giving website links and phone numbers to stop smoking companies.
An Enfield Council spokesman said:  "We are absolutely committed to minimising the impact of tobacco smoke on our staff and visitors to our buildings and the communication sent to staff was designed to inform them of our policy with respect to our no smoking at work policy.
"While staff are prohibited from smoking during work hours, we do allow them to smoke, if they wish, during their authorised breaks. Our policy is proportionate, sensible and designed to protect public health."

Cigarette Smoking Kills the Third Marlboro Man

Earlier this week it was reported that, for the third time, a Marlboro Man actor died of a smoking-related disease after spending the last years of his life speaking “out fiercely about the hazards of smoking.” There’s a biblical principle that underscores the tragic irony of these deaths, and it’s summed up in one Hebrew word.
But first, a little history.
For those not old enough to remember the Marlboro Country ads, let me describe what we saw on our TV screens day and night.
A handsome, strong cowboy—dubbed the Marlboro Man—sat on his majestic horse with an endless panorama of spacious, green fields in the background, known, quite perversely, as “Marlboro Country.” And as he sat astride his horse, he was smoking Marlboro cigarettes—for a time, the best-known product brand in the world.
The message, of course, was clear: You could live in Marlboro Country too!
You could even be like the Marlboro Man himself if you simply puffed away on these cigarettes—sitting on top of the world, the vast wilderness your playground and the cloudless sky the open roof over your home. Breathe deep and inhale the beauty of Marlboro Country!
In truth, the real Marlboro Country is the lung cancer ward in the local hospital, where a little girl watches her daddy breathe his last breath—still smoking through a hole cut in his throat.
I actually wrote about this in a 1999 book called Go and Sin No More with reference to a previous Marlboro Man who died of lung cancer. Now the tally is three actors who believed in their product so much that they endorsed it with their lives and sealed it with their deaths, seeking to warn others before it was too late.
According to a recent AP news report, “When it came to portraying the rugged western outdoorsman who helped transform a pack of filtered cigarettes into the world’s most popular brand, Marlboro Man Eric Lawson was the real deal.
“Ruggedly handsome, the actor could ride a horse through the wide-open spaces of the Southwest, from Texas to Colorado to Arizona or wherever else the Phillip Morris tobacco company sent him to light up while representing a true American icon, the cowboy. And he really did smoke Marlboro cigarettes, as many as three packs a day.
“Lawson was still smoking in 2006 when he was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He died of the disease at his home in San Luis Obispo on Jan. 10. He was 72.”
The report documents the smoking-related deaths of two other Marlboro men, “Wayne McLaren, a former rodeo rider who died in 1992 of lung cancer that he blamed on his lifelong smoking habit ... and David McLean, who died in 1995 of lung cancer that he also blamed on smoking. He was 73.”
What is the biblical principle that warns about this?
It is found in the Hebrew word acharit (pronounced a-cha-reet; the ch sounds like the Scottish ch in the word “loch”), which is related to the Hebrew word for “back.” It literally means “that which comes after; the after-effects; the final consequences; the end.” L&M Red Label
And the principle is simple: From our normal vantage point, we cannot see someone’s back. We don’t see what comes after. And so, if I tore the back of my suit jacket, leaving an ugly hole, you would never know it if you only saw me from the front. From that angle, I would look fine. But as soon as I walked past you, you would gasp.
Moments ago, everything seemed great. But when you saw my back, the whole picture changed. Instead of looking sharp, I looked sloppy.
And that’s the biblical concept: From our ordinary, human vantage point, we cannot see that which comes after—the final consequences of a matter, the acharit. We do not see our own backs.
We see the pleasure of the moment, the seductive pull of that smiling face or curvaceous body, the promise of a thrill, of satisfaction, of release.
In fact, that’s the power of advertising: Enjoy now; pay later. You want this. You need this. You can’t live without it.
To the contrary, not only can we live without so many of the things that temporarily satisfy our lusts and desires, they are often the very things that will kill us.
The man who destroyed his marriage and lost his family over an adulterous affair realizes too late that it wasn’t worth it.
The teenage girl who lost her virginity to that handsome young man—whom she’s never seen again—realizes too late that it wasn’t worth it, especially when she finds out she contracted an incurable STD.

Smoking ban burning into Gov't coffers

THE Government has acknowledged that the smoking ban introduced last July by the minister of health is having a significant negative impact on its revenue projections for the current fiscal year.
In its Fiscal Policy Paper 2013/14 Interim Report tabled in the House of Representatives late December, Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Peter Phillips pointed to a significant decline in taxes from tobacco sales as one of the primary reasons for the shortfall in tax revenues up to then.
"A significant decline in receipts from tobacco, as a result of the smoking ban in public spaces, effective July 15, 2013, also contributed to the reduction in SCT (Special Consumption Tax)," Phillips noted in the report, which is to be studied by Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) on Wednesday. Kiss Superslims Dream
The minister has since confirmed the report in interviews with the media but has maintained that no new taxes will be introduced to cover a widening gap in revenue projections expected to continue into 2014/15.
Phillips is also insisting that while the revenues are being impacted by the ban, the revenue targets for 2013/14 will not be changed.
He first made the statement while responding to questions from former Opposition spokesman on Finance Audley Shaw, who expressed concern in the House about the revenue loss implications for both the industry and the Government from a reduction in cigarette consumption, up to next March when the current financial year ends.
"We will continue to monitor the situation, but I want to make it absolutely clear that the revenue numbers that the government announced will remain, and that there will be no slippage in relation to overall targets for revenue," Phillips responded.
Shaw insisted then that the Government was "operating in the dark" because although the ban was imposed on cigarette consumption and not cigarette sales, it should have been obvious that sales would have been affected.
"The issue, therefore, will have to be how will that be replaced, going forward," Shaw commented.
Dr Phillips responded that, "all things being equal", there would be a reduction in consumption, but there was no indication of the pace at which the reduction would occur.
One of the areas which is being seriously affected by the reduction is the National Health Fund (NHF). Cigarette producer Carreras says that the bulk of the approximately $11 billion in taxes on cigarettes finances up to 75 per cent of the NHF's activities. However, communications director at the Ministry of Health, Neville Graham, is insisting that only 25 per cent of the NHF's budget is actually financed by cigarette tax revenue.
Graham also conceded that the smoking ban was affecting receipts from cigarette sales, but explained that when it was first raised by Carreras last year there was no evidence to support the claim.

How to Reduce Deaths From Cancer

Re “Why Everyone Seems to Have Cancer,” by George Johnson (Sunday Review, Jan. 5):

Although the “war on cancer” nowadays more resembles a siege, presuming inevitable defeat seems a bit premature. The problem — and wonder — of medicine is fundamentally Rumsfeldian: the “unknown unknowns” that limit our ability to predict both the future of disease as well as our capacity to combat it.

Centuries ago the vast army of infectious agents would have appeared similarly insurmountable — until, of course, the discovery of vaccines, antibiotics and improved public hygiene. Cancer may appear to be a more formidable opponent at present, but if history is our guide, we might be wiser to wager on human ingenuity and scientific progress to ultimately triumph over this enemy as well.

JASON P. LOTT
New Haven, Jan. 5, 2014

The writer, a doctor, is a clinical scholar in the department of dermatology, Yale University School of Medicine.

To the Editor:

Your article spotlights the inevitability of certain cancers as we age, but glosses over cancers that affect thousands of children and young people every year. As the President’s Cancer Panel noted in a 2008-2009 report, “the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated.”

Yet only a fraction of chemicals on the market have been adequately tested for safety, thanks to a dysfunctional toxics law that hasn’t been substantially updated since it was signed by President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. The good news is that lawmakers in both parties seem increasingly prepared to break the deadlock.

A bill introduced last year by Frank Lautenberg, the late Democratic senator from New Jersey, and Senator David Vitter, a Republican from Louisiana, is currently winding through the Senate, and a companion measure is expected soon on the House side. The legislation still needs work, and there are many hurdles yet to clear. But we are closer than ever to the legal safeguards that could prevent countless cancer tragedies.